Dog attack court cases leap 62%

The number of court cases involving attacks by dogs has increased by 62%, with a similar rise in successful prosecutions, according to a new report.

The Royal Mail welcomed the trend, as it reported that attacks on postal workers have fallen by 10% in the past year to just under 3,000.

The increase in cases taken to court in the six months to December followed a change in the law in England and Wales, giving postmen and women legal protection against attacks when they enter private property.

The figures were released as the Royal Mail launched its annual dog awareness week, which aims to encourage responsible ownership.

Shaun Davis of Royal Mail said: “Dog awareness week continues to go from strength to strength, raising awareness of dog attacks and the problems our postmen and women face when they are delivering customers’ mail.

“Whilst there has been a reduction in the number of attacks from last year, eight postmen and women are still attacked every day. We are completely committed to driving this figure down further.”

Dave Joyce of the Communication Workers Union said: “Carelessness by dog owners can cause postal workers serious problems if they don’t think about controlling their animals when letters and parcels are being delivered.

“Over 15,000 postal workers have been attacked by dogs over the last five years for simply doing their jobs.”